Reigate's MP says the government has given him assurances that East Surrey passengers who have been left out of pocket by changes to rail services won't have to upgrade their current tickets.

Nearly 300 rail passengers who travel from Horley, Salfords, Earlswood and Redhill to London Bridge during the rush hour were facing having to pay hundreds more to upgrade their season tickets after Thameslink took over the route from Southern.

Parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) switched some routes from being run by Southern to Thameslink on Monday (December 11), including the services that run from Gatwick to London Bridge.

Those who had bought 'Southern only' season tickets found they were no longer valid on the route as it was now run by Thameslink.

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Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, said he has been in contact with the Department for Transport to get assurances that passengers with these tickets won't have to upgrade their current season tickets.

He said: "GTR has replaced some of its Southern Rail services with Thameslink services but there is a disparity in the price of tickets between the two operators, despite the fact that they are both operated by GTR.

"This changeover has not been thought through, meaning that passengers previously holding Southern Rail season tickets could have been subject to a sudden fare increase. The Rail Minister has assured me that he is working to find a solution."

Since the changeover on Monday only one Southern service is running in the morning and passengers say they have had to use one franchise to go into London zones 1-6 in the morning and another in the evening to come home. So they would have to buy a ticket that allows them to use both franchises, which is hundreds of pounds more expensive.

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Mr Blunt added: "This situation reflects the unacceptable complexity of the fares structure on the GTR network. As the Redhill line is already affected by anomalously high fares compared to other local stations, known as the 'Redhill Hump', I have long been pressing for a more simplified and fairer pricing system for passengers travelling on the Redhill line.

"I believe that the extension of Transport for London Travel Card zoning from Coulsdon South to Gatwick would provide fares transparency and value for local rail users but, neither this option, or others have yet been produced by the Department for Transport as a solution. Things simply cannot continue as they are."

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